KNOXVILLE – A Knoxville man was arrested after police say he falsely reported a vehicle involved in an accident as stolen.

Court records show that on July 18, the Knoxville Police Department and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office began investigating a crash that took place in the 1200 block of 132nd Avenue in Knoxville. The accident involved a car striking a power pole, which caused a temporary power outage in the area. A wallet left in the vehicle connected the accident with 22-year-old Tanner Sutherland.

According to court records, Sutherland told authorities that he had no knowledge of the crash and wished to report the vehicle as stolen. He allegedly stated that the vehicle in question was a rental vehicle and was stolen from him, and that he was not involved in the crash. However, after an investigation that included multiple witness testimonies and video surveillance footage, it was revealed that Sutherland was providing false information, and that he was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident.

Sutherland now faces a charge of False Report of an Indictable Offense, a serious misdemeanor.